Page 95 - Florence County, SC Florence County 2032: Connecting Our Past, Defining Our Future

Existing County | Cultural Resources

This three-story building was constructed in
1921 to house Florence High School. A
fireproof facility, it was designed by
architect William J. Wilkins and built of brick
and reinforced concrete by contractors
Florence High 34° 11.400′ N, Haynsworth & Lawton. It replaced an older
21-53
School 79° 45.918′ W brick school on E. Cheves Street and
originally included the main west wing and
central auditorium, which hosted public
performances and speakers. Behind the
school was an athletic field used for home
sporting events.
The Graham family was among the first
European settlers in Lake City, formerly
named Graham’s Crossroads. This site,
owned by Hugh Graham in the late 1700s,
33° 52.506′ N, was part of a larger tract on the N side of
21-54 Graham Home Place
79° 42.876′ W Lynches Lake (7/10 mi. S) that tradition
holds was the family’s colonial-era “home
place.” The site has been passed down over
the generations and remains with the
Graham family today.
From the 18th century until c.1920, African
American farmers grew rice in nearby fields.
While not a major cash crop in this part of
S.C., rice was a staple on local plantations,
Mars Bluff Rice 34° 11.292′ N, where enslaved people grew it using African
21-55
Growers 79° 39.414′ W methods. After the Civil War, most freed
people here worked as tenants and
sharecroppers, and some continued to grow
rice for household consumption and sale to
merchants.
In 1949, Ebony Guest House, a prominent
local tourist home for African Americans,
opened at this site. It was owned and
operated by Mary C. Holmes (1900-1981), a
native of Williamsburg Co. who moved to
34° 12.426′ N, Florence in the 1920s. She lived next door
21-56 Ebony Guest House
79° 45.648′ W with her family, who helped maintained the
Guest House. Her husband, Norman A.
Holmes (c.1890-1969), was a minister and
carpenter who oversaw construction of the
two concrete-block buildings where guests
stayed.

Florence County, SC | Comprehensive Plan pg. 94